Carrie Williams Jones County Historian

The same act that established the county of Jones, authorized that the courts and public business be held and transacted in the house of William Jones, which is northwest of Gray in Finney’s District G. M. D. 299. In 1808 Albany was designated as the county site and the records show that in September 1808 the Inferior court passed orders to lay out a road from Albany in Jones to the Garrison Reserve: Albany to the Hurricane; and on to Walnut creek where the road crosses. In the same year on November 7th the Inferior court passed this order. “That the Commissioners of Albany in the court of Jones deposit in the Clerk’s office of this court within thirty days all bonds and obligations arising from the sale of lots in Albany, for the use of the county.”

In the minutes of late 1809 the county site is spoken of as Clinton instead of Albany and the second courthouse of wood was constructed on the place of Ross at Clinton. This must have been a temporary structure as in October 1809 the Grand Jury recommended, “That the courthouse inadequate and that the Inferior Court come to an understanding with the undertaker, (contractor) and have one built on a suitable plan which will be more convenient and lasting.” (Minutes of the Sup. Court 1808, no page.) The records show that James Thompson was the “undertaker,” or builder and that he was paid $1,797.00. The lot of land on which Clinton was built was bought from Thomas Johnston for the sum of $2,000.00 (Book of Deeds E. pp. 163-164) Sept 12, 1808 in the 33rd year of American Independence. Signed by Rich Brown, Harris Allen and David White, J. P.

In 1818 the third courthouse of Jones County was finished. It was two stories, made of brick with a basement which was used for a city barracks and jail until the new jail was finished. This was a large, attractive building and stood until long after the new courthouse at Gray was built in 1905. The two-story jail made out of native granite stood just where Reubin Stewart’s barn now is and was well made by Jacob Hutchings, a slave and stone mason, and Representative in Reconstruction Days.

The first Judges to guide the fledging county on its destiny were: Hugh Moss Comer, William Jones, James Jackson, William Binion and John McKenzie, called Chief Justices on May 11, 1808. John R. Gregory was the first clerk of Sup. Court. This Inferior Court which had great powers existed from the creation of the county until 1868.
At the court of March 21, 1808 Justices of Peace and Constables were appointed. Roger McCarthy was made Ordinary. A road was to be made from High Shoals on Falling Creek to Clinton and the Commissioners appointed to mark out a road from Clinton to Milledgeville (22 miles). The Commissioners were: Thomas Pickard, Uriel Atwater, and Levi Mobley. The Clerk was authorized to get the digest of laws of Georgia from the General Assembly in Milledgeville.

The Act 270 in 1807 provided for the Ocmulgee Court Circuit and Jones was one of the original counties in this circuit and is still in the circuit (199) years later. Peter Early was the first Judge.
In 1811 the Senators from Jones were: William Jones and Thomas Blount, the Representatives were John Bayne and Wilkins Jackson. U. S. Senator, Alfred Iverson, for many years lived in Clinton, and here his son, Alfred Iverson, Jr. was born. Both father and son became Brigadier Generals in the Confederate Army.
One of the most noted Chief Executives of Georgia, Peter Northern was born and reared in Jones County.
Early towns mentioned in old records were: Blountsville, Fortville, Grab-all, Griswoldville, Ethridge, Larksville, Transquilla, and Clinton.

The first jail stood near the present home of the Earl Hamilton’s and in close proximity to the Clinton cemetery. The second jail was made of rock and finished in 1842 on the site now covered by Reuben Stewart’s barn. Near this barn still stands a small house used for a post office at one time. Then it cost 17 cents to mail a letter to Savannah, 10 cents to Milledgeville, and 5 cents to Macon. (1835.)

It cost $3.00 then to ride the stagecoach from Clinton to Milledgeville. It cost $10.00 to ride from Milledgeville to Columbus via Macon and took 22 hours. These coaches ran daily, while most of them at the time ran twice weekly.
In 1886 the railroad was built through the central part of the county going from Macon to Athens. It came through Gray instead of Clinton, also Clinton had suffered from the Civil War destruction and over at Fort Hawkins the settlement spread in what is now the City of Macon. Clinton could not stand all these reverses, so Gray became the county site in 1905. It was named for James Madison Gray who had left an educational fund for the worthy boys of Jones County to go to Mercer University. A contract for the new courthouse was let on July 25, 1905 for $35,000. The stone from the old jail in Clinton was put into the foundation and the retaining walls of the new structure.

The Clinton Methodist church is one of the oldest Methodist churches in this section of Georgia. The land was deeded in 1821, but the church started in 1810. Sunshine Church near Round Oak was burned by Sherman’s forces in 1865 and in 1875 was rebuilt at Round Oak. There was a Baptist church opposite and beyond the Johnston home in Clinton, which was destroyed during the Reconstruction period (built 1836).